1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for stacking flat workpieces, which are provided with stacking holes, on stacking pins or stacking fingers of an endless flexible conveying element or of an endless conveying chain. The endless flexible conveying element or endless conveying chain revolves around reversing pulleys, which conveying element or conveying chain is advanced by one step whenever a stack consisting of a predetermined number of workpieces has been formed. The apparatus includes a feeder for feeding consecutive workpieces to be stacked and means for pushing the workpieces onto the stacking pins or stacking fingers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Apparatuses known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,633,731 and 4,371,365 require interruption of the feeding of the workpieces by the performance of so-called nonfeeding intervals whenever a stack consisting of a predetermined number of workpieces has been formed on the stacking pins, by which the stacks are retained to depend freely across one side of the conveying element. During such a non-feeding interval the conveying element is advanced by one step, the stack which has just been formed is conveyed out of the stacking station, and a new pair of stacking pins are moved into the stacking station before the feeding and stacking of workpieces is resumed. The short interruption of the feeding of workpieces reduces the output of the machine and it is usually necessary to adopt relatively expensive measures in order to interrupt the process of manufacturing the workpieces and the feeding of the workpieces to the stacking station.